This invention relates to luminaires, for example, a luminaire employed in automotive head lamp.
The luminaires employed in the automotive head lamps have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. 7-57503 and 10-147174, Japanese Patent No. 2,761,132, U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,921 and so on. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,921 has been assigned to the same assignee as the assignee of the present application, and its luminaire comprises a lamp including a discharge lamp, socket, reflector, lamp cover, lens and lamp body, a lighting device including an inverter and igniter, and a coupler, wherein the socket connected through cables to the lighting device inserted in the lamp.
In the conventional luminaire as in the above, however, there have been problems that, since in general the socket and igniter in the lighting device are connected through a harness, parts of a high withstand-voltage are required when a high voltage is applied to the harness, the startability is deteriorated, and so on.
The present invention is to overcome the foregoing problems, and its object is to provide a luminaire which can reduce the length of such part to which the high voltage is applied as the harness employed in the lighting circuit, and which can attain an excellent startability.
In order to solve the above problems, it is an object that the luminaire according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a discharge lamp, a lighting device for supplying a power for lighting the discharge lamp, an igniter for starting the discharge lamp, and a lamp body having at least a discharge-lamp holding member and housing the discharge lamp, wherein the lighting device and igniter are provided as separated, the lighting device is provided in the lamp body, and the igniter is provided adjacent to the discharge lamp.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention should become clear from the description made in the followings with reference to embodiments shown in accompanying drawings.